More sheep in the UK at 1 December 2021

Thursday, 31 March 2022

The size of the UK national breeding flock grew last year, standing at 14.5 million head on the 1 December, according to Defra data. This is growth of almost 3% on-the-year and a contrast to in England where the flock size contracted.

Chart showing the size of the UK national sheep flock December

Some growth in the breeding ewe numbers was expected based upon optimism in the industry and low ewe slaughter figures during 2021. Despite this rise in breeding ewe numbers, there is still doubt over the accuracy of the Defra slaughter data.

The number of other sheep and lambs also increased, reflecting the expected slaughter pattern. Numbers are up on the year and in-line with recent historic averages.

For the latest population data on cattle click here.


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